Innholdsfortegnelse for 22-Mar-2018 i Horse & Hound

THE damning report following an investigation into the British Equestrian Federation (BEF) and some of its member bodies found “self-interest, bullying and elitism” (news, p4). This is saddening, if not entirely surprising. The report suggests a deadline of Tokyo 2020 for changes to be made, after which UK Sport (UKS) and Sport England (SE) could block funding. Motivation enough for self-interest to be put aside, you would hope. The structure of our governing bodies is largely to blame for the current, untenable culture. The BEF, umbrella organisation for horse sports, ought to hold a degree of leadership over its member bodies, as happens in the vast majority of other sports, many of whom just have one governing body. However, it is the longer-established member bodies that have control and the…

List one judge Mark Ruddock has relocated to Ireland with husband Sean Burgess, to set up a training yard. Mark will continue as British Dressage eastern team trainer and run his usual clinics. Showjumper Harry Charles, 18, won his first four-star grand prix at the Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera, Spain, beating his Olympic gold medallist father Peter into third place. Leading jockey Ruby Walsh suffered a suspected stress fracture in a fall at Cheltenham on 14 March. The 38-year-old had recently returned to racing after breaking his right leg in November. British event rider Jeanette Brakewell broke her fibia in a fall from a youngster at home. She has had her leg plated and screwed and hoped to be discharged from hospital this week. Producer and rider…

NEW H&H FESTIVAL FOR DRESSAGE DRESSAGE riders take note: H&H is delighted to announce it is running a new three-day competition for you this summer. Following the success of last year’s unaffiliated three-day event, which returns in May, the Horse & Hound Festival of Dressage will run at Sheepgate Equestrian, Lincs, from 20 to 22 July. There will be unaffiliated championship classes from intro to medium, and the option to compete in warm-up and freestyle classes, with a great haul of prizes on offer. Visit: horseandhound.co.uk/tag/ hh-festivaldressage COUNTRYWIDE JOBS ARE ON THE LINE MORE than 700 jobs were put at risk as the Countrywide Farmers Plc chain went into administration. Mole Valley Farmers Ltd had been in negotiations to buy the retail…

MEDICS A rider in hospital for treatment as a result of a bite from a horse was much entertained by the process of filling in forms. “Shall I tick ‘assault’ as the cause?” queried the nurse with a grin. Very apt, we feel. RIDERS Talking of which, the same nurse failed to see the importance of getting back in the saddle. “Can’t you just throw a stick for the horse?” she asked, with the air of someone who knows her advice may not be heeded. RIDERS (AGAIN) And finally, I hear from a friend, who was also in hospital from a horse-related injury, that the doctor had harrumphed rather over her query as to when she could get back in the saddle. “There are two types of people I know…

TRUDY daren’t say it out loud for fear of jinxing herself, but her ambition is to compete in top hat and tails — and her trainer thinks she will. Four years ago, Trudy bought a coloured cob with the aim of being on her riding club dressage team. Now, thanks to a trainer who has the sense to realise that there is life beyond 17hh warmbloods, the pair are winning at advanced medium, much to Trudy’s astonishment. Gary — Trudy winced a bit when she heard his name, but it suits him and it would be bad luck to change it — has the trainability and temperament of Valegro. While he’ll never gain more than a seven for his paces, he loves performing and has learnt to strut his stuff…

6:30am: Alan is first onto the yard to feed the horses. “Blueberry is still the first one I go to each morning,” he says with a smile. 6:45am: the other grooms arrive and all the horses are given their morning hay, mucked out, checked over and have their rugs changed as necessary. 7:30am: Alan and the girls start tacking up and warming up Carl and Charlotte’s first rides. The horses are worked on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, hacked on Wednesdays and Saturdays and given a day off on Sundays. 7:45am: Charlotte arrives on the yard to begin riding — over the course of an average day she will ride nine horses. 2pm: with their horses ridden, Charlotte and Carl turn their attention to teaching and clients during the afternoon.…

‘I wouldn’t have registered without this championship as the incentive’ THE draught and part-bred associated championship was the reason for Kate Austin’s return to the affiliated dressage fold after nine years away. “I had a Shire/thoroughbred who evented to novice level, qualified for the Area Festival final and was a great all-rounder, but she retired and then work and life got in the way,” said Kate. “I bought The Midnight Rebel [pictured] nearly two years ago as a happy hacker. He was a nice young Irish draught who’d hunted in Ireland and was in need of a bit of schooling, but I didn’t have any particular plans to compete again.” It was a friend who mentioned the championships and, along with trainer Rebecca Drane, fired up Kate’s ambition to have…

FOR riders on the international circuit, managing travel fatigue and jet lag could make the difference between a good or a bad day in the ring. “The earlier they can get on that time zone, the better their training is going to be, and the more they are going to be able to retain,” adds Dr Bender. The BEF is also focusing on the impact time differences at the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon 2018 and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will have on riders, and is planning jet lag strategies for both. “We all deal with jet lag and travel fatigue in different ways and it is about tailoring plans for each rider as much as we can,” says Dr Bennett. Showjumper Emily Moffitt, who bases herself in both…

EVERY week we lose more events to snow or wet ground. If this weather pattern continues, British Eventing (BE) cannot keep sanctioning events in early March. I dread to think of the ongoing costs in terms of abandonment insurance. If an event cancels three years running, it should be forced to move to a new date. When competitions do start in earnest, there is a new rule applying to combinations with three or more elements. It is not well written in either the BE and FEI rules and I had to “phone a friend” to understand when and where I was allowed to circle. To avoid disappointment, I’d recommend riders do the same! I know I’m old-fashioned, but I’m disappointed BE has adopted the “fall and out” rule. I know…

THE jockey missed the ride on Buveur D’Air 12 months earlier because of injury. He is getting towards the twilight of his career in the saddle now and uses himself sparingly enough these days. However, when push comes to shove he remains an exceptional big-race jockey and there are few better. He was superb from the last and that is where he made his big-race experience count. Not wanting the seven-year-old Buveur D’Air to have to win the race twice, he had the confidence to wait until the last 100 yards before chucking the kitchen sink at the gelding. From a neck down he drove him past Melon to win by a neck — a cosy neck if there is such a thing on an odds-on favourite in the Champion…

IT’S all very well planning your horse’s fitness regime down to a tee, but what about your own? “There should be more awareness of the importance of our own fitness and the problems a lack of it can cause,” says Will, who also plays hockey as well as eventing. “Find something you enjoy to increase your fitness outside riding, whether that;s running or Zumba,” he advises. “A rider’s core strength and stability is very important, and Pilates can be really beneficial. A strong core improves your posture on the horse, helps you stay in balance and helps you ride more economically, with less pressure on the horse’s back. “I have incorporated stretching into my routine every evening to improve flexibility — it’s better to do something little and often so…

Fountain Dressage, Aberdeen Eilidh Grant rode the Tuschinski mare to post 72.67% in the advanced medium freestyle. The nine-year-old needed a back tooth removed last year and suffered complications resulting in four additional stays at the (Dick) Vet School in Edinburgh to resolve it. “We’ve had a disastrous winter,” said Eilidh. “After the tooth was taken out, ‘Etta’ developed an abscess on the jaw. It was a nightmare and she couldn’t be ridden. She was schooling at PSG before, but when she was off she lost a lot of condition and muscle. “I started riding Etta in a hackamore for some light work as she hates being off. Then in December I fell off a youngster and fractured my back. I was off for six weeks and it was touch…

CSI3* Spanish Sunshine Tour, Vejer De La Frontera HARRY CHARLES just missed out on winning his second grand prix of the week, taking the runner-up spot to Egypt’s Abdul Said (Beauminka) in Saturday’s 1.45m small grand prix. Harry, 18, had triumphed in the previous week’s postponed CSI4* grand prix with Controe — beating his Olympic gold medallist father Peter on that occasion — but, this time on Vivaldi Du Dom, the Hampshire rider just couldn’t quite match the time of the Egyptian. His younger sister Sienna was snapping at his heels, taking third on Chaitanya 2, with William Funnell fourth on Billy Angelo. Among the other big winners on the Tour this week were Matthew Sampson (Gloria Van Zuuthoeve, Billy Republic and Dy Korette), Holly Smith (April IV), Harriet Nuttall…

‘“Husband hunting,” muttered Adam. But in defence of those girls it was the horses, not the men, who attracted them [to the Household Cavalry]’ MUCH as I enjoy living up here surrounded by sheep, it is good to have a change now and then, particularly at this time of year when proper spring still feels a long way away. And so a chance to escape with a trip to London and a tour of the Hyde Park barracks, home of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment was welcome. It was an enormous privilege to see first hand everything that goes on there, and reminded me that when we were in our 20s, a couple of friends used to help exercise the horses there before work. “Husband hunting,” muttered Adam uncharitably when…

IT HAS been described as a “battle for the heart and soul of equestrianism”, caused by years of discord between the British Equestrian Federation (BEF) and some of its member bodies (MBs). When the BEF’s former chief executive Clare Salmon resigned in July 2017, making allegations of “bullying, self-interest, elitism and corruption”, the BEF commissioned an investigation. The review panel has released its report, ruling that some MBs were guilty of bullying behaviour. It states if its recommendations are not met by the end of this Olympic cycle, UK Sport and Sport England would be “entitled to suspend public funding”. “The panel cannot emphasise enough that behaviours must change as to how the BEF is governed,” the report says. “While at times the BEF and MBs may have demonstrated a…

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has announced its 2018 award winners, to be presented on 13 July. Professor Peter Clegg will be presented with the Queen’s Medal, the college’s highest honour, which recognises a distinguished career in the veterinary profession. He is head of the Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease at the University of Liverpool. His nominator, Mandy Peffers, said Professor Clegg manages to combine a clinical career with a recognised specialism in equine surgery, along with a successful academic research career. Professor Derek Knottenbelt and Dr Ebony Escalona are the recipients of the RCVS’ inspiration awards. Dr Escalona has been recognised for her work as veterinary advisor at the charity Brooke. This includes her involvement in the Learn Appeal project, which provides basic veterinary, farriery and…

DOPE-TESTING at FEI endurance rides in the Middle East is being “substantially increased,” following a staggering 10% positive results from the 50 horses sampled in the first half of the UAE winter season. Positive returns from other disciplines is just 1.57%, according to most recent FEI figures. FEI anti-doping results analysed by H&H also show that 2.2% of the 2,247 starters in UAE fixtures in October, November and December were sampled, compared with the “ball park” 5% target in other disciplines. So far this year, five endurance horses have failed dope tests in UAE rides, with 14 riders from Qatar and Saudi Arabia and UAE awaiting disciplinary hearings. “Following analysis of the results throughout 2017, it was again clear that endurance rides in Group VII [Middle East] remain high-risk events…

BUTTOCKS A woman was awarded €52,000 (£46,000) compensation for injuries she suffered in a fall at a riding centre. She has been left with three blemished areas on her left buttock, which the judge said are not serious cosmetically, but added she will have to live with them for the rest of her life. Where does one start…? MEN A team from the Metropolitan Police mounted section is to run the London Marathon next month dressed as horses (the men) and riders (the ladies). No flies on the females then, we know which outfits we’d rather choose…! ESTATE AGENTS A picture of a house for sale advert, shared widely online, has caused rather a lot of sniggering, as it advertises the residence in question as having a paddock and a…

Sir — I recently read a newspaper report which suggests that, thanks to the development of a complicated laser technique, which would enable so-called autonomous cars to sense possible hazards even when they are hidden from view — for example, in an adjacent street — the arrival of such cars is unlikely to be something that’s delayed for long. However, their appearance must inevitably be a matter of concern for anyone who rides or drives a horse. While there is still a minority of drivers who pay little regard to horses on the road, I think most riders would agree that the majority of drivers are prepared to treat them subjectively, and not as being just another car. However, I cannot see that this would be the case with a…

CATHRINE DUFOUR is curled up in a corner of the Heathrow airport coffee shop where we have arranged to meet during a rare spare hour in her whirlwind schedule. She’s hunched over her phone, wearing jeans and a black hoodie, her signature long hair scraped back behind large headphones. No one passing would guess that this is the Danish golden girl who stood beside Germany’s Isabell Werth and Sönke Rothenberger on the European Championship podium in Gothenburg last year, claiming double individual bronze alongside team silver for Denmark. The Rio Olympics may have come a tad too soon for Cathrine and Atterupgaards Cassidy, who made their senior grand prix debut just 10 months before the finishing 13th at the Games, but 2017 was the year Cathrine came of age. “Rio…

THERE are three affiliated young horse/ pony series, culminating in finals at Hartpury, Hickstead and the British Dressage (BD) national championships at Stoneleigh. Horses’ ages are taken from 1 January in the year of foaling — so a horse born any time in 2014 is eligible for four-year-old classes this year. SHEARWATER BRITISH DRESSAGE YOUNG HORSE CHAMPIONSHIPS FINAL: 20-23 September, Stoneleigh Park. AGES: four, five and six. SET TEST? Basic commanded route plan for qualifiers (where horses go into the arena in pairs); set test at the semi-finals (BD 2018 national tests for all age groups). Same test at final for pre-judging phase, then in the final, horses are ridden in groups of four (pictured, right) to a commanded floorplan. All in the final judging are ridden by the ride…

EARLY mornings and late nights — riders’ busy lives leave little time for sleep. But could more time in the land of nod give you the edge in the saddle? Other top athletes take sleep seriously. Roger Federer is said to have around 11 to 12 hours a night, while Usain Bolt and Maria Sharapova both clock around 10. Dr Amy Bender, of the Centre For Sleep in Calgary, specialises in working with elite athletes. “Sleep is a basic need — we all have to sleep or we die,” she says. “Every cell in our body is affected when you don’t sleep as you should, as is every biological process.” With elite equestrian sport becoming ever more competitive, the margins between winning and losing are increasingly close. Dr Bender worked…

MARK TODD CERAMIC LEG WRAPS These wraps reflect the natural heat from the horse’s leg, helping to stimulate circulation. £19.99 marktoddcollection.co.uk VEREDUS MAGNETIK HOCK BOOTS Made with 16 magnets to help reduce overheating and maintain optimum temperature of the leg. £116 veredus.com EQUISSAGE PULSE AND PAD This Cyclo-Therapy massage offers a range of health benefits, such as pain relief, improved circulation and relaxation. POA niagaraequissage.com CLEVERCOOLER With coils that wrap around the horse’s legs, this device cold-hoses your horse’s legs for you, saving time, and most horses are not fazed by it. £149 clevercooler.com WOOF WEAR BIO CERAMIC BOOT Made with bio-ceramic technology and far infrared rays to stimulate cells and encourage good circulation. £60 woofwear.com EQUILIBRIUM THERAPY MASSAGE MITT…

THE Cheltenham Festival seems to get bigger and better every year. It’s always the most important four days for us in racing, but I think it’s really growing as a global sporting event too. There were some impressive performances throughout the week, especially Altior in the Champion Chase. But of course, the highlight for me was Friday. To win the Gold Cup — 18 years after I won it before — was amazing. I thought Native River had a good chance going into the race, especially after his win in the Denman Chase at Newbury last month, but you can never be too confident. Happily, it all went to plan and everything seemed to click into place. We had a good start, which is vital, as your chances of winning…

THE 11-year-old became the ninth horse to win the Foxhunter Chase twice and in doing so, he elevated Paul Nicholls to sit alongside Richard Barber as the most successful trainers in the race’s history with four victories. The son of Muhtathir, who is owned by the Stewart family, carried Olympic gold medal-winning cyclist Victoria Pendleton to fifth in 2016 and last year helped launch Bryony Frost’s mesmeric career. “I get a lot of stick for running horses in hunter chases,” said Nicholls. “But it’s brilliant for people like Harriet, Bryony, Victoria Pendleton and Rilly Goschen [who rode his 2004 winner Earthmover]. “It’s a life-changing experience for them and I cannot tell you how proud I am of Harriet and the horse.”…

I ENJOYED a fantastic week and was delighted to ride my first Cheltenham Festival winner. I went into the week knowing Coo Star Sivola, who is trained by my stepfather Nick Williams, had a good chance in Tuesday’s Grade Three Ultima Handicap Chase. He has plenty of experience around Cheltenham and we had a perfect prep run under our belt, winning at Exeter at the end of February, plus there were no Irish runners in my race! I was told to be fairly handy with him, but not to miss the boat. He jumped almost too well over the first two fences and we ended up closer to the leaders than I had hoped. I didn’t want to hit the front and for it to turn into a three-mile sprint…

THE great Jorrocks was wont to bemoan those “stinkin’ violets” of May as they heralded the season’s end. Modern farming methods now mean that in most areas snowdrops in March are a more likely portend. “Unsettled” is the word to describe best the conditions this season; a frost of -5°C one night then 10°C above the next day, all capped off with an Arctic blast from Russia. Settled conditions, however they manifest, are better for hounds and continuity of sport. Pre-Christmas proved mainly dry and poor scenting, but the arrival of rain in the New Year saw a marked improvement. During January and February both our dog and bitch packs provided some exciting days before the appearance of the “Beast from the East” confined hounds to their quarters for a…

DENIRO THE beautifully fitting, hand-crafted Bellini riding boots are new to the DeNiro dressage line, and available to order from UK stockists. Similar to the DeNiro Raffaello model, the Bellini boot offers a defined fit around the ankle, along with even more comfort, and promises a closer contact between rider and horse. A full made-to-measure service and customisation is also available. Get in contact to find your nearest stockist. Colours: a variety of colours Sizes: UK foot sizes 2-11 RRP: from £535.00 01704 897674; deniro@clarkeandpulman.com W FMBS THE new Combi Pro II rug boasts powerful pulsed electromagnetic (PEMF) and deep cyclonic massage therapy to help your horse to perform at his best. Covering the main muscle groups from poll to tail, it can be used as part of…

CSI3* Toscana Tour, Arezzo, Italy IRELAND’S Pete Moloney secured a three-star victory on the Toscana Tour. Riding D’Atlantique Royale in a 1.50m rankings speed class, he took a convincing lead and the €6,175 (£5,413) first prize, with his countryman Conor Swail (Domino Van De Valhoeve) third. Conor went on to take third again in Sunday’s grand prix to Italian winner Bruno Chimirri (Tower Mouche). Great Britain’s Anna Power finished fifth in the silver final with Blazer B.…

CSI3* Winter Equestrian Festival week 10, Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, Florida, USA IRELAND’S Darragh Kenny took the top two placings in Wednesday’s 1.45m classic, worth $11,550 (£8,243) to the winner, with the 12-year-old Chakito and the 11-year-old Horst Van De Mispeleare respectively. “These 1.45m speed classes and two-phase classes are so fast nowadays,” said Darragh. “Every time you go in, you have to go absolutely 100% to win or you might as well just school around, because you’re not going to get a ribbon any other way. “The course suited me with both horses. I didn’t have to go too crazy at the start. It was a nice two-phase, so it was good to go around the first phase and get them both going around well.” Chakito is usually…

BSPS Area 5 Spring Show, Arena UK, Lincs THE new partnership of Ryley Gething-Shields and Gartconnel Skytrain maintained their 100% strike rate by adding two more wins and the mini heritage championship to their tally. When a ridden career beckoned, “Choo Choo” was gelded last year and, to find a suitable jockey, producer Catherine Hudson took the pony to the heritage championships last October, where seven-year-old Ryley was chosen. The new team, who have been together since October 2017, also proved distance is no object. Owners Liz and Louise Russell of the Gartconnel Stud are in Scotland, Catherine Hudson is based in Lincoln and Ryley, who only meets up with Choo Choo at shows, lives in Wales.…

Keysoe Valentine’s Show, Beds AT only his second show in his debut season under-saddle, Weydown Royal Consort (Marvin) gained a winning first-ridden double in the BSPS M&M novice and the Ponies Association (UK) (P(UK)) open M&M sections, followed by the championship with 10-year-old Eugenie Godfrey-Faussett. After a successful in-hand career, Marvin was bought as a stallion at the end of last summer and, after being gelded, was backed by Team Holder in January. He is reported to have taken to the ridden job like a duck to water.…

ELITE dressage stallion Fürstenball (above) has been crowned Danish warmblood stallion of the year at the DWB licensing in Herning, Denmark. The 12-year-old Fürst Heinrich x Donnerhall son, who stands at the Schockemöhle stud, has produced a hugely impressive collection of offspring with more than 60 licensed sons, which include Follow Me, Finest, Fürsten-Look and Farrell. Fourteen of his sons have been awarded premium status, and he also boasts 14 state premium daughters. Fürstenball won the Bundeschampionate in 2011 and reached the final of the same year’s World Young Horse Championships under Ines Westendarp. He retired from sport to concentrate on breeding in 2013, having trained up to small tour.…

NZB LAND VISION The horse who carried Sir Mark Todd to his comeback Badminton win in 2011 has died aged 17. “He was undoubtedly one of the most talented horses I ever rode,” said Mark. “A true gentleman.” RUTHERGLEN Andrew Hoy’s Olympic partner has taken on a new role as a schoolmaster for his student Isabel Finemore. Andrew said the 15-year-old gelding had adapted to his new job “like a fish to water”. MAGIC SHADOW The Horse of the Year Show-winning showjumper, who was ridden by Charli Evans and Darragh Kenny before the Allen family, has died at the age of 28. “Magic” had retired at Bertram Allen’s yard in Germany. The Allen family described him as a “wonder pony”. TEMPLEBREADY FEAR BUI The Connemara stallion, who sired a dynasty…

THE thrill of the Cheltenham Festival can leave visitors feeling both exhilarated and exhausted, but for one racing fan, visiting the spectacle was a particularly impressive feat. Britain’s third-oldest man, 109-year-old Ralph Hoare, attended this year’s Festival, on 16 March, for the first time since he witnessed Arkle’s Gold Cup victory in 1964. “I like to have a small bet and see the horse winning,” said Mr Hoare, who backed Might Bite (pictured) in the Gold Cup. Daughter Kate Hughes, who accompanied her father to the Festival, said: “He’s always been a racing fan. “I’ve started watching it with him since I’ve been looking after him and he can’t see well enough to do the bets by himself any more.” A Jockey Club spokesman said the course was “delighted” to…

TALL vs SMALL Sir — Your article on tall horses (8 March) was interesting, and while I agree that there are and have been some wonderful tall competition horses, in my experience they are harder to manage and don’t last as long as their smaller counterparts. While I love a big horse myself, most of the outstanding horses in history have been small and have left the greatest legacy. That prolific and successful sire of racehorses, Hyperion, was under 16hh and Mill Reef was only just over 16hh. And I will never forget the 14.2hh Stroller, who had to have special exemption to jump in senior classes when Marion Coakes was out of juniors. My old friend and mentor, John Rawding — who was responsible for breeding many good horses…

I genuinely like animals — I have a springer spaniel — but I hadn’t had much insight into horses until about five years ago, when I moved on to the special rescue team for Somerset, based in Bridgwater, where I’m watch manager. We have a higher level of training than a regular firefighter, and being in Somerset, animals make up a big chunk of our work. Large animal rescues are a major operation, due to the risk they pose to humans. We probably have one horse rescue a week, though sometimes there’s a spate. Horses stuck in a ditch are the most common scenario. We have various methods for getting a horse out — sometimes it’s as simple as using manpower and strops, sometimes we need to roll them out.…

Andrew Fletcher outlines some key points to ensure you get the most out of the exercise: • The aim is to lower the horse’s neck while keeping his forehand up, so he works from the hindleg and through his shoulder. To achieve this, don’t give the rein away. Instead, ride the horse from your leg into a forward-thinking hand. • Consider the tempo. Riding too fast will send him onto his forehand. He could injure himself if he runs around out of balance. • Lateral work is another means of developing looseness, while polework encourages a horse to lift his shoulder and stretch through his back. • If the horse is uptight or feeling fresh, the exercise may not be appropriate. Ride him on a circle with some inside flexion…

THE British Dressage (BD) office has fielded umpteen calls from the membership over the past couple of years, and it’s no surprise. With the implementation of the gold, silver and bronze sections, changes to rulings, and more and more competition options each year, riders have been left questioning their eligibility, and the best route for them to take with their horse or pony. It pays to think carefully about your aims for the season, before planning your competition schedule. “If riders thought about what they actually want to do this season, they would find it much more straightforward to get the information they are looking for,” says BD’s Winnie Murphy. The traditional summer and winter regionals-nationals routes are no longer the only option, and nor are Area Festivals the only…

1 Naps can help, even at the competition: keep them short (15 to 90 minutes), and mid-afternoon is best. 2 Be organised: clean kit before putting it back on the lorry, have a plan for the week ahead, go to bed earlier if you have early starts. 3 Routine is key: try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. 4 Good cardiovascular fitness can help with sleep and recovery. 5 Alcohol is a sedative and harms sleep quality; it also hinders recovery. 6 Stop drinking any caffeine around lunchtime. 7 Off-load your racing mind by writing down what went well, what you want to work on and your plan of action with your horse after a show. 8 Have a clear sense of why…

Cheltenham Festival, Glos ON the back of the Irish domination of this year’s Festival, it is no wonder Colin Tizzard reckoned he had no chance in the Timico Gold Cup. However, Native River — his Hennessy and Welsh National winner — did what he does best and galloped the guts out of his 14 rivals to beat Might Bite four-and-a-half lengths in as good a duel as you're likely to see in a staying chase. In truth, this year’s Gold Cup, an open race on paper, was a two-horse race between the galloper Native River — given a brilliantly-judged ride by Richard Johnson — and the classy Might Bite. The pair were rarely separated by more than a length. The rest were like silent extras in a movie, just filling…

ONCE your horse is working confidently in walk, trot and canter, it’s time to take your fitness programme to the next level, introducing gridwork, fast work and jumping. “Every horse is different; don’t be afraid to vary or adapt your programme if needs be,” says Will Furlong, the 2015 European young rid er eventing champion. “Don’t worry about sticking to a set number of days work per week either — four days of quality work, plus some hacking, is better than six days of poor work.” Will advises planning at least a week between your horse reaching fitness and your first competition. “If your horse is at a stage you are happy with after 12 weeks, you can take a week to back off the work a little, or use…

MARCH certainly came in with a roar. A few days after Storm Emma, snowdrifts were bank-high at the edge of roads across Exmoor and exposed gateways shrouded in white from bottom to top rail. The temperature had lifted, but only a touch at the Devon and Somerset Staghound (DSSH) kennels in its prominent position above Exford. An enforced 10-day standstill came at an inopportune moment as hounds were due to switch from hinds to spring stags on 1 March. It had made for a testy atmosphere in the kennel cottages. As the case across the country, the partners of huntsman Peter Heard and first whipper-in Gary Boon had absorbed the tension of house-bound hunt staff. This is the first season that 35-year old Peter, a former gamekeeper, has been hunting…

TWO hunt prosecutions have collapsed in the past week. On 15 March three members of the Grove and Rufford — huntsman Paul Larby, amateur whipper-in Jane Wright and Peter White — won their appeal against a conviction for illegal hunting. The case collapsed after it was revealed that the prosecution failed to show 50 photographs containing clear evidence supporting the defendants’ case that they were all hunting legally. Countryside Alliance chief executive Tim Bonner said of the case: “This has been a long, stressful and expensive process which never should have happened. If all the evidence had been available from the start it is unlikely that there would have even been a prosecution, and there would certainly never have been convictions in the magistrates’ court. “The police and Crown Prosecution…

Keysoe CDI3* The College, Beds GARETH HUGHES and Classic Briolinca celebrated their return to international competition with a grand prix double at a cold and snowy Keysoe. Soundness issues has kept the impressive Trento B x Royal Dancer mare out of the limelight for much of the past three years but these have now been resolved. The 12-year-old certainly looks well and showed impeccable rhythm in her passage and piaffe and lightness and ease of movement in both her classes. In her first international grand prix since Compiegne last year, Briolinca scored 71.93%, winning by 3% from runners-up Sonnar Murray-Brown and Erlentanz. “She felt pretty hot and got a bit tense in the walk as she was looking at the warm-up,” commented Gareth. “But she came back to me and…

Hunters EC, Glos | Burrows Court Farm, Glos Megan Shearn, who works for grand prix rider and trainer Elder Klatzko, bought Versaille in early February. “He came to the yard on sales livery and I fell in love with him,” said Megan, 18. “I’d never met a horse who was so kind. I asked Elder if I could have a lesson on him and I knew he was the one.” The 16-year-old Dutch warmblood gelding, previously owned and competed by Hannah Sheppard, is proving the ideal schoolmaster. “This was my first British Dressage show, but when I rode him into the warm-up I thought: ‘I can do this’,” said Megan. “We’re now halfway towards regionals qualifi cation.” The Millennium gelding Hyperius enjoyed a confidence-boosting outing at Burrows Court Farm with…

AT a recent FEI five-star seminar in Vienna, a lively debate took place. Speaking to one of the trainers who attended, the main thing coming out of that gathering was the fabulous dialogue that seems to be gelling the future of our sport. This dialogue between trainers, judges, riders and of course the FEI needs to happen more. Ours is such a passionate sport, which is why people can tend to go off on their own views, and this causes divide. The judges’ education group is working on a clearer understanding of the code of points. As a trainer, I am amazed at the amount of work Katrina Wüst and Stephen Clarke are putting into this simplified code the FEI want, although why it’s necessary when the judges’ handbook is…

CSI5* Saut Hermès, Grand Palais, Paris, France THIS prestigious Hermèssponsored show in the heart of Paris reached a dramatic crescendo on Sunday, with a well-timed win in the grand prix for Frenchman Simon Delestre and Hermès Ryan. Under the ornate glass roof of the Grand Palais, 49 starters were bidding to take home the €132,000 (£115,931) first prize and 14 jumped clear in round one. But the tricolour went to the popular Frenchman after he scorched home nearly half a second faster than the in-form Belgian rider Niels Bruynseels (Gancia De Muze), with Marcus Ehning third for Germany on Cornado NRW and the reigning European champion Peder Fredricson fourth with Hansson WL. Michael Whitaker was best of the Brits with four faults in the jump-off on JB’s Hot Stuff, while…

LIKE many other British riders, I’ve been in Vejer De La Frontera for the Spanish Sunshine Tour since mid-February, with the aim of getting an early start jumping on grass. While everyone back home has been faced with freezing temperatures, the weather in Spain has also been awful. For the past two weeks, Sunday’s grand prix has had to be postponed until Monday because of the rain — which has meant no one gets a day off as we launch straight back in to the young horse classes. But the grass has coped admirably well — on week two, I was 38th to go in the grand prix and it was still jumping like carpet — but the organisers understandably don’t want to wreck the rings. If anything, the sand…

IT’S time to tackle show entries — I’m sure many of you are becoming frustrated over how long it takes and the early closing dates many organisers impose. Most shows now offer, and even prefer, online entries. In pre-digital days, show secretaries had to undertake mountains of paperwork and allow extra time for postage. Thanks to technology, paperwork has been drastically reduced and shows that issue catalogues can turn them around in days — so why have timescales not kept pace with this? Entering online should be efficient and convenient for everyone. As an IT consultant, I’m pretty tech-savvy, but it can still take 25 minutes to enter one class. Having to repeat the process over and over becomes extremely tedious. However, some entry systems are a godsend. They allow…

Nedz Spring Showing and Working Hunter Spectacular, Aintree, Merseyside AFTER remaining unbeaten in all of his 2018 outings, it looks as though Hayley Reynolds’ Coppinshill Commemoration (Roly) is going to be one of the major players in ridden and in-hand sections this season. With three wins and championships already to his credit, the charming Dartmoor gelding added another two victories to his winning tally before going on to take the supreme in-hand and ridden championships for Hayley and her eight-year-old son Lewis. “We bought Roly as a stallion at the end of September for Lewis to ride initially on the lead before first-ridden classes next year — he has been the easiest pony to ride-away,” said Hayley.…

THE KWPN stallion UB40 has been put to sleep aged 16, just a month after receiving prestigious keur status. Among his most famous offspring is the international grand prix dressage stallion Apache, who sired Charlotte Dujardin’s upcoming star Gio as well as Indian Rock, champion of the 2016 KWPN licensing. “He had an undiagnosed illness and took a sudden turn for the worse,” read a press release from Iron Spring Farm in the USA, where the Olivi x Krack C son stood. “UB40 was a sweet and talented stallion and will be deeply missed here at the farm. We are grateful for the amazing offspring that will continue on his legacy.”…